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Bea Johnson lives waste-free with her family since 2008 and is the author of the bestseller Zero Waste Home (Zéro Déchet en francais)

"Since embarking on the Zero Waste lifestyle, our lives have changed for the better: We feel happier and lead more meaningful lives, based on experiences instead of stuff. My goal is to share its incredible health, financial and time saving benefits!"

Fashion Friday: Cashmere and Pink

This week I wore a black cashmere sweater (so warm and cozy!) with a hot pink skirt (technically a skort)

You look great, Bea. Thank you for starting this Friday outfits series. I'm really working on paring down my wardrobe, it is hard! I appreciate getting to see more visually how you make use of your small wardrobe.

This *IS* zero-waste. What she is doing is demonstrating the versatility of her pared-down, upcycled closet based on thrift store finds. She only goes shopping twice a year and keeps a very small inventory. It's meant to inspire those of us who feel we've got a closetful of clothes and 'nothing to wear'. By keeping only things you love and wear often, it's easy to 'shop' your own closet and try to be imaginative with what you already have. :)

Bea, you looks wonderful, as always. When you purchased this pink skort, what did you get rid of? What I have trouble with is to part with something that I still love, but in order to keep my inventory down I believe that is a must. I would love to hear in detail what process you go through, including thought process and practical process.Thank you for sharing.

Thanks Kay. I was too focused on my book around my last shopping trip to take pictures and write about my wardrobe change (before and after) but I would love to do a post with visuals (the how-to is covered in the book). I am definitely keeping your idea in mind for my next trip!

Bea, I have been following your blog and am so incredibly inspired by you. I have made HUGE changes in my life to absolutely ZERO detriment to my family. The zero waste life is very doable and I can now see that. I've pre-ordered your new book and am very excited to receive it!

I'm envious that you obviously have access to better thrift stores than I do! Maybe it just takes a lot of time to find the best stores. But it also seems to take perseverance and patience...going from store to store to find what you are looking for! Personally, as a mom with a toddler in tow most of the time, I have tried doing thrift store shopping for necessities and found it to be unrealistic for the little one's attention span! And in my limited free time, it doesn't seem to be realistic either. It seems to be the type of thing that one has to carve out an entire day to accomplish! But I do still feel inspired by the idea of simply buying less, even if it isn't purchased at a thrift store. I love the versatility of what you've shown on your fashion features.

Hi EmilyWhen my kids were little and in-tow, I actually enjoyed going to the thrift store with them, because contrarily to other stores, it had toys to occupy them;) Their toddler years are also when I started scheduling a bi annual clothes shopping spree for myself, as much needed "me time" (my husband knew those two dates and would care for the boys while I was gone). Today the kids are in school when I go, and it does take a whole day to shop for the 3 of us at once, but I visit 2 very large thrift stores (so that my time is not spent driving around) with a list (so that I don't waste my time browsing aimlessly). When reducing your wardrobe, the biggest time investment should not be shopping (as you mention) but figuring out what your capsule wardrobe's pieces are. Once you have that figured out, then your actual shopping time will be reduced to replacing only a few pieces a year! I hope my explanation helps!

I had a balayage done in France last year. Over there they do not use plastic wrap or foil as they do here. They just paint them on. I like this treatment because it provides minimal highlights with minimal contrast. I can wait a year between treatments. In the meantime I add a tea of camomille to my conditioner.

Great look! My suggestion for your second book is to be with just photos of your outfits and weekly food menus for a year. I think this is what most people that are scared of trying zero waste lifestyle struggle with. So vusually presented it might pushed them to right direction:)

BEA YOU ARE SO INSPIRATIONAL. I AM TRYING TO REDUCE MY WARDROBE TOO. I HAVE THIS PURSE THAT I LOVE.... ITS PERFECT JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF POCKETS, STRAP LENGTH, GOOD COLOR, SIZE ETC. I HAVE HAD IT FOR A LONG TIME AND IT IS STARTING TO LOOK WORN, CHARACTER IS WHAT WAS DESCRIBED ON ANOTHER BLOG. WITH THAT CHARACTER REFERENCE IN MIND I LOOKED AT MY OLD PURSE DIFFERENTLY AND LOVED IT ALL OVER AGAIN. HOWEVER EVERY TIME I SEE ONE OF MY FRIENDS SHE IS ALWAYS SO PULLED TOGETHER. ALL HER CLOTHES LOOK BRAND SPANKING NEW AND I CANT HELP BUT LOOK AT MY PURSE AS SHABBY... JUST WONDERING HOW YOU GET PAST THAT BEA. I KNOW ITS A SILLY QUESTION BUT I ALWAYS HAVE AN URGE TO BUY A NEW PURSE AFTER I SEE HER....

I really do know what you mean, you really have to know your own identity when it comes to clothes and accessories, your friends shiny new attire will soon wear ,and with that mindset will soon be on the landfill.You have to acquire discipline,and character and style will develop,something which continual purchasing cannot deliver.